


Outside

by SamuelJames



Category: Striking Out (TV)
Genre: Gen, Prison Beatings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:34:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamuelJames/pseuds/SamuelJames
Summary: Ray's first day out of prison.





	Outside

**Author's Note:**

> _**Title:** Outside_   
>  _**Character:** Ray Lamont (Steve/Ray mentioned)_   
>  _**Rating:** 15+_   
>  _**Summary:** Ray's first day out of prison._   
>  _**Notes:** Part of my one word collection where the single word prompt will be the fic title. Prompts are taken from [this list](http://artjournalist.com/one-word-art-journal-prompts/) and will be of varying lengths. Since I've rarely met a fandom I didn't want to stray into, there will be tons of different ones and various pairings._   
>  _**Disclaimer:** This transformative work has been created purely for entertainment purposes. No profit is made or sought. No copyright infringement is intended._   
>  _**Archiving Information:** Please do not archive elsewhere on the net or in other formats/languages._

Ray hasn't been to The George since the night of the referendum results but it's where he finds himself the first night he gets out. Five months doesn't sound like a long sentence but every day was a struggle and this seemed like a good choice. He's not looking to meet someone but he's comfortable here. He's still got bruises from the last beating, some built like a wrestler on steroids regular eager to show his mates he hadn't gone soft in all of the three months he was out and Ray being new apparently deserved to be an example to anyone who challenged the wannabe gangster.

Once was enough for Ray, some of the frequent flyers seem to like the structure but he'll do anything to make sure he never has to go back. He's always hated the term straight acting with people telling him he can pass like it's a test or he's trying to trick someone but it helped inside, anyone who was seen as different whether they were actually gay or not was a target. He got jumped on day three for telling the wrong person to fuck off, two days after that for some imagined slight during breakfast and the worst was his cell-mate's parting gift as he was getting released three weeks before Ray. That night he thought his ribs might be cracked but he's out and now he doesn't have to watch every little thing he says or worry about some asshole with anger issues looking for a fight.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Ray looks at the man who's approached his table and shakes his head, gesturing at his pint. "Fine with this thanks."

He didn't let Steve visit, can't just rock up at his and expect things to be okay. He missed him though but a visit would have gotten him extra unwanted attention. Nobody else approaches him and he ends up half-listening to the lads at the table next to him speculate about when their friend is going to ditch his gold digger boyfriend.

Last night it had been lights out at this time, at least his replacement cell-mate had been okay a quiet enough lad which meant Ray had been able to sleep safely. He's arranged to crash with a mate as he has no family to fall back on. As much as he loved Alan, the extended family didn't see him as one of them and he hasn't seen any of them since the funeral. There was one guy inside, Jason, who remembered Ray from school and sort of vouched for him. Ray had spent most of his free time with Jason and his friends, safety in numbers some of the time, but there'd been a few conversations where he'd have to pluck some name out of the air to pretend he fancied this model or that celebrity. Simple lies like that got him accepted but then he'd have to remember the lies he told and not be honest about who he thought of when wanking.

He watches two lads younger than him nervously chat and wonders if this is their first date. The taller of the two blushes and smiles at whatever he's just heard and Ray grins before looking away. Coming out hadn't been a huge deal for him but finding someone, that had been a challenge. Somewhere like here was a pretty good start in terms of actually meeting other blokes but it had taken him several tries before he could actually approach someone and even then it hadn't happened in a bar. Steve had found him at the afters of some friend of a friend's wedding. They'd shared a cigarette in the smoking shelter and Ray hoped, really hoped, that he'd read the situation right when he'd leaned in to kiss him. They didn't go out on the scene much but the party here when the results came in was amazing, the whole atmosphere was joyous and celebratory. 

Getting out is all he's been looking forward to and he's got to meet with a Community Support Scheme officer to discuss his reintegration into society and see about signing on and everything but he liked the work he was doing and hopes he'll be able to find something. People will see a drugs conviction and assume the worst, even if they smoke the odd joint themselves so he can't imagine even getting to the interview stage.

He finishes up his pint, forgoing another one because he can't really afford to be spending on non-essentials. He makes his way onto Dame Street and turns up towards Christ Church, Dave who he's staying with is in an apartment near James' Hospital. It's still busy enough in town but he gets back to the apartment relatively quickly, stopping with an almost cartoonish gasp when he sees Steve waiting in the lobby.


End file.
